Kosovo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Kosovo - Essay Example Thorough investigations will be carried out to find the technical process that goes behind in making these visual designs. The investigation also explores the successful factors of using visual designs, such as logos and identifying their processes, techniques and development. In contrast the not so effective visual designs will also be investigated, to find out what went wrong in the process and development. For this project it was essential to undertake a motive and start experimenting to what can be done with visual design. Moreover to see the impact of how these techniques change the perception of a country. The chosen country for this experiment is Kosovo. Kosovo proved to be more of a challenge to experiment with as many still view Kosovo as a war torn country. The experiment on designing for Kosovo is an attempt to replicate the development and effort that goes behind branding to engage the audience to a visual design. 1. Definition of Visual Design Visual design is not about what the message is through the word. The design is supposed to show both emotions and visuals. The graphics elements must incorporate visual art skills prior to any graphic elements are applied to a design. Visual art includes works which are primarily visual in nature using anything from traditional media to state of the art logo design. Majority of basic visual design concept include colour, contrast, typography, composition, lie, texture, space and shape. Lines are used to guide the viewer thought a composition also the use of type in a visual design can add visual interest. A logo is a name or trademark of a company. Logos are used by companies o represent a concise image of the company. Our eyes are drawn to visual objects; people generally find it easier to remember a simple image over works alone. A logo is also graphical mark that’s used to identify an organization, company, production or brand even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition. A logo ca n either be purely graphic as a symbol/Icon or it can be composed of the name of the company/brand etc. 2. The importance of visual design and their effects in nation branding Visual design symbolizes the establishment and provides a quality image, representing one of the missed elements needed the nations’ nation branding factors. Either the country doesn’t have one or it isn’t good enough. The research conducted will provide some in depth details of the process that is done in the background on how to make a logo that can help Kosovo stand out it a fears completion when it comes to branding. There are countries, cities and tourist resorts that are facing increasing competitions to attract tourists, possibly inhabitants and various companies to visit their regions or to promote exports, according to Teemu Moilanen and Seppo Rainisto (2009). Figures compiled by Teemu Moilanen and Seppo Rainisto, show that there are more than 300 cities in the world with over a m illion inhabitants. Most of the cities want to stand out from the other competing cities, in terms of attracting the tourists to visit the city’s tourist attractions. Indeed there is more to branding a country than visual design. However, the visual design is the first step to promoting the country at its core. 3. The successes and failures of visual identities The destinations that are going to be investigated for this research are four distinct country tourism destinations. The research

Globalization and Its Discontents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Globalization and Its Discontents - Essay Example Stiglitz proposed a common explanation with realistic assumptions: agents on one side of the market have much better information than those on the other side. Borrowers know more than the lender about their repayment prospects; the seller knows more than buyers about the quality of his car; and tenants know more than the landowner about their work effort and harvesting conditions (Ibid). In Globalization and Its Discontents, Stiglitz referred to larger players than mere agents of the market, landowners, and tenants - and these are the multilateral institutions and their principal shareholders in pressing developing countries - supposedly to liberalize their economies. In this controversial book, Stiglitz argues that although globalisation should be a powerful force for good, it has been badly mishandled by the West, especially with its lead institutions, the World Bank and the IMF. As Stiglitz contends, those concerned with economic development have seen economic openness and liberalization as panaceas. Instead of progress however, he argues, the result has all too often been devastation. What happens, according to him, is that developing countries open themselves to trade, deregulate their financial markets, and abruptly privatize national enterprise but then experience more economic and social disruption than growth. Foreign direct investment is said to have destroyed potentially viable domestic companies. And liberalized international finance has made emerging-market economies "more vulnerable to erratic shifts in investor sentiment" without giving out any visible benefits. Stiglitz is a respected economist who actually worked as a senior official at the World Bank. In this book, Stiglitz recounts his experiences in some places including Thailand, Indonesia and some other Asian countries, Russia and Brazil, and Argentina. He finds repeatedly that the International Monetary Fund puts the interests of its "largest shareholder," the United States, above those of the poorer nations it was designed to serve. In the end, he said these countries which had enthusiastically embraced free-market policies have been "engulfed in catastrophic financial crises, leading to bankruptcies, unemployment and social unrest". He also strongly criticizes the role that has been played by the U.S. Treasury in many of these crises and occasionally also criticizes the World Bank, an institution where he was once affiliated with as Chief Economist. His main criticism of these institutions is based on their closed-door debates, hence involving precious little participation from the host countries outside of their finance ministries and central banks. While the policies made by these institutions affect billions of people in the developing countries, they have little voice in the whole process, he said. Another point which he labours about in the book is about capital market liberalization, and how he argues that it contributes to "volatility of capital flows into and out of a country." In general, he finds fault with the manner liberalization and privatization has progressed in several of the new and transitional economies because they do not have "the right institutions that are an

Employee Empowerment and Motivation Essay Example for Free

Employee Empowerment and Motivation Essay Employee empowerment is the process of enabling or authorizing an individual to think, behave, take action, and control work and decision making in autonomous ways. It is the state of feeling self-empowered to take control of ones own destiny (Heathfield, n.d., 1). In other words, giving the employees the power and ability to make decisions that affect not only their department but the company as a whole as well. Empowerment has become an increasingly used human resources (HR) catchphrase when analyzing the corporate world of today. Empowerment of the employees can increase employee morale, improve company performance, and improve employee relations, however is not an overnight process. All levels of employees, supervisors, and executive management have to work together and be properly prepared in order to make an empowerment program successful. Improving Employee Morale In many corporate organizations, the lower level employees often feel unappreciated and underutilized. Often, employees can feel like just another number, destined to do the same thing day after day with all decisions being made by upper management. When companies adopt an employee empowerment approach, these feelings can be reduced or even eliminated. Allowing, and even mandating employees to have a say in company decisions makes them feel important to the success of the company. Employees want to be heard and they want their opinions to matter. The most effective morale booster is for an employee to see his or her idea become a company policy. When this happens, the employee feels more valued and being recognized as an important contributing part to the company. Improving Company Performance Another benefit of employee empowerment programs is usually a noticeable improvement in company performance. The simple explanation for this fact is that employees who are most familiar with the day-to-day processes have the best hands on knowledge to be able to implement educated changes and improvements to those processes. Often, many members of management and the corporate officers are hired into their jobs based on education and experience with other companies; they often never worked their way up within the current company and have therefore, never experienced the day-to-day processes. Therefore, decisions made by those officers are often solely based on hypothetical situations and projected  profits; they are often so focused on the bigger picture that they overlook the details. However, when the employees performing the job are asked to make decisions, they look at from the bottom and up and take those forgotten details into consideration. Improving Employee Relations When employees are not involved in company decisions, often they operate within their own confined department. Often, the employees take actions without thinking about the repercussions of their actions to other departments; this is done mostly out of lack of communication of what those repercussions might be and not understanding how each process inter-relates. When employees are given the empowerment to make company decisions, it encourages open communication. Once employees know that they are going to be held responsible for their decisions and that those decisions will impact the whole company, they will take the time to work with other departments to investigate how things affect the company as a whole. This serves to not only achieve better decision making but also opens lines of communication and strengthens the company feeling of being more of a family unit. Making Preparations For Employee Empowerment Although employee empowerment seems like a simple concept, it cannot be implemented without preparation. All levels of employees within the company must be prepared and in agreement with the idea in order to make it work. Expectations must be communicated from the top most levels of management down to the base employees and vice versa in order for empowerment to work. Flat OrganizationOne of the first steps in successful employee empowerment programs is the flattening of the organization structure and its organizational chart. When the organization has too many decision makers and not enough line employees, conflict is inevitable and empowerment will not be successful. This change in organization may include the restructure of elimination of jobs to eliminate the dictatorial chain of command and bring all employees closer to the result. This transference of responsibility to the employees allows management to focus on other things such as researching new ideas and processes that are presented by the employees. Employee and Management ResistanceWhenever a company adopts an employee empowerment program, resistance from all levels is expected. Supervisor and Management level employees will often resist empowerment programs because they feel are giving up control that they worked hard to achieve. The human nature to enjoy a feeling of control and empowerment threatens that control. Supervisors and managers must be counseled in advance to make sure that they understand that their input is still crucial and important and that empowerment of their employees will be for the betterment of all parts of the company. One would think that employees would jump at the chance to participate in employee empowerment programs. However, many employees often balk at the opportunity. They often lack the self-confidence to make decisions they know will affect the whole company. Others believe that empowerment is just another word to justify piling more responsibility on the employees. According to Abrahamson (2004) in which he discussed how organizations can go through change overload and how employees can experience change fatigue and burnout. To prevent this, employees must be convinced of the positive effects of employee empowerment. The company must strive to make the employees understand that the program is being implemented because the company values their experience and opinions and truly values their input. EducationOften, both management and employee resistance is caused by the feeling the employees do not have the knowledge needed to make the proper decisions for the company. Education is the key answer to this fear. By educating the employees about the company as a whole and the operations of those outside of their own department, confidence in the employees decisions is heightened. Education about the empowerment process in general will also help to quell fears by clearly defining everyones role within the company following the changes so that everyone knows what is expected of them and is confident with their future within the company. Conclusion Employee empowerment is an important part of the successful operation of todays organizations. By allowing the employees to have in an  input in company decisions not only lifts their morale, but more use of their experience and knowledge with day-to-day operations to make better decisions. This allows the company to service their clients better and ensure the continued success of the company within their market. Companies looking to start empowerment programs should take the time to educate employees completely and discuss the program benefits with all employees at all levels. This will help ensure that all employees are committed to the program and to ensure its success. â€Æ'References Abrahamson, E. (2004), Change Without Pain. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, Retrieved April 4, 2009 from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Tr-Z/Trends-in-Organizational-Change.html. Heathfield, S.M. (n.d.). Human resources: Employee empowerment. Retrieved April 4, 2009 from http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossarye/a/empowerment_def.htm.

Various Global Health Issues

Various Global Health Issues 1.1. Identify the global health risks (due to either internal or external sources) that threaten the health of the UK population. Global health is focused on people across the whole planet rather than the concerns of particular nations. It recognises that health is determined by problems, issues and concerns that transcend national boundaries (HM Government (HMG), 2008). Health risk is a disease precursor associated with a higher than average morbidity or mortality rate. (Mosbys Medical Dictionary, 2009) Global health risk therefore is the identification of the global and regional mortality and disease burden (Stevens, 2009). According to statistics, the leading global risks for mortality in the world are high blood pressure, tobacco use, high blood glu ­cose, physical inactivity, and overweight and obesity. They usually affect all income groups across the world (World Health Organization (WHO), 2009). On the other hand, the global burden of disease is classified into a first group which includes communicable disease, maternal, perinatal and nutritional disorders; a second group which includes non-communicable disease like cardiovascular disorders; and a third group which includes injury (Lindstrand, et al. 2009 p. 131). Patterns of disease vary across the world. In 2009, in low- and middle countries, as well as in all high-income countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the non-communicable diseases dominate as causes of mortality and DALYs lost (Lindstrand, et al., 2009 p. 131). In the UK, particularly in London, exacerbation of many infectious diseases which are unique to the country has been reported. The population of London is increased daily by millions of commuters and visitors, thus to communicable diseases is also increases. Rates of TB, STIs, blood borne infections, malaria and measles has greatly gone up. It is significant to note that London has much higher rates of communicable diseases compared to other capitals in the UK due to dense population (Maguire, 2005-2009). Donaldson (2007, p.7) states that, In todays globalised world, we can no longer consider the health of the UK in isolation. Chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, mental ill health, and alcohol- and tobacco-related illness once deemed the preserve of industrialised nations are now worldwide problems. The dramatic increase in the incidence of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis in some countries, and the emergence of avian influenza in Asia, could pose major threats to the health of the UK population. It may be a clichà ©, but it is true that infectious diseases do not respect borders. 1.2. Assess the roles played by international organisations and agencies (both inter-governmental and non-governmental) in health promotion and disease prevention in developing countries. One of the major reasons why International organizations were formed is to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.It is organised as intergovernmental and non-governmental (Lindstrand, et al., 2009 p.292). Intergovernmental are those based on several governments. It could be international such as those belonging to the UN family. Non-governmental includes private, not-for-profit and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) (Lindstrand, et al., 2009). These international organisations play a great role in health promotion and disease prevention most especially in developing countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is a specialised UN agency that handles health and medical issues for the worlds nations. Its acts as the directing and coordinating authority on international health work. Its objectives are to promote solutions of international, economic, social health and related problems (Linstrand et al., 2009 p.293). According to Lindstand, et al (2009, p. 297) population is one of the major problems of developing countries. The United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNPFA) deals with population division. It has four folded mandate: to build knowledge to respond to the needs in population, to promote awareness on population and family planning, to assist developing countries, and to play a leading role in the UN system coordinate projects in population. Development issues in the UN system are being dealt with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Its top priority is poverty eradication. This organisation has a special role to coordinate with the UN effort to monitor progress towards Millenium Developmental Goals (MDG) and assit countries to develop their own goals. (Linstrand et al., 2009 p.297-298). The World Bank (WB) is important in international financing of health services in low and middle income countries. Its role is vital in health promotion and disease prevention. They provide loans and funding to sustain economic development and reduce poverty in low-income countries. The bank has become more active in health policy issues as evidenced by their theme, Investing in Health in their annual publication in 1993 (Linstrand et al., 2009 p.298). Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are playing an increasingly important role in many countries. They are also active in heath activities and they are prominent at global level like the Red Cross and International Planned Parenthood Federation (Linstrand et al., 2009 p.301-302). Therefore, we could say that there are several international organisations and each one has their role to play in order to promote health and prevent diseases. 1.3 Evaluate the impact of global contribution in the prevention of HIV/AIDS and Malaria. HIV infection and malaria are among the top ten causes of healthy life lost and deaths in the world. Thus, international organisations have exerted efforts and contributed in the prevention of these diseases globally. Today, Aids is one of the main diseases of the world. The transmission is largely through commercial sex and intravenous drug use and as well as from blood transfusion.(Linstrand et al., 2009 p.144-145). Due to awareness of the rapid increase in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS across the globe, NGOs have run many community-based projects in order to reduce transmission of HIV/Aids. They have programmes to supply condoms to commercial sex workers. Health and social services provide education, care and social support group to most vulnerable people. These projects have decreased the expected spread of infection mainly in Thailand, Tanzania and The US (Linstrand et al., 2009 p.147). According to Lindstand, et al. (2009 p. 152), antiretroviral (ARV) drugs have been developed to combat or prevent HIV. But due to its high cost, only those who can afford could comply with the treatment. Thus, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) was created in response to the challenge to finance basic health services. It effect will be judge after some years. It may be an effective prevention or have a low effect due to low compliance. The UN-AIDS is also one of the agencies established by WHO to deal with AIDS. UNAIDS has been successful in lowering the price of antiretroviral drugs and on improving the monitoring of the HIV pandemic (Linstrand et al., 2009 p.299). According to WHO, 2001 (cited by Linstrand et al., 2009 p. 165), the malaria parasite is estimated to be the direct cause of about 1.3 million deaths. Because of the outbreaks, global strategies to prevent and treat malaria have been developed and the main challenge here is to find a method cheap enough to be sustainable among low-income countries. The GFATM is one of the agencies of WHO which help finance the projects against malaria across the world. Its projects have been effective in some areas but it appears that this intervention will only be feasible in only a few areas. WHO has also responded with a programme called Roll Back Malaria. The focus is to improve existing drugs and to improve the use of health services by the affected population (Linstrand et al., 2009 p.168). According to the BMJ (2004), Roll Back Malaria is currently a failing global campaign. Support from donors needs to be increased for the Global Fund to provide the best funding method for the fast procurement of malaria tools. Global contributions have a great impact in the prevention of HIV/AIDS and Malaria. It has greatly helped in the control of spread, treatment and prevention of these diseases although some methods have failed; the international and local sectors still continue to improve their mechanisms. 1.4. Recommend international measures that will assist further health improvements in developing countries. There are so many international measures that could further help improve health in developing countries. The general health situation is deterioration in several countries. Health is a good indicator of human life conditions and the health of the population of the country determines its general development. Although global health has deteriorated, improvements never ceased (Linstrand et al., 2009). International organisation such as the UN continuously develops measures that will assist further health improvement especially in developing countries. It is in the interest of all countries and persons that the global health situations improve, thus UN has established Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Almost half of the MDGs relate to health and targets the improvement of the least developed countries (Linstrand et al., 2009). According to the authors of global health (2009), there are two particular difficulties in global development. One is scientific and the other is political. In determining these two, one could understand the culture, social and political structures of a country and actions for a better development will have a greater chance of success. The World Bank, World Health Organizations and most other UN organisations now express similar view about development in health and alleviation of poverty. They regarded the eradication of poverty, freedom from hunger, access to safe water, basic education for all children, equal human rights for women and men, a healthy life and the sustainable use of natural resources as core aspect of development (Linstrand et al., 2009). The World Bank stated in its yearbook (cited by Linstrand et al., 2009), that a better life involves more that simply higher income. It stated that, Development encompasses as ends in themselves better education, higher standards of health and nutrition, less poverty, a cleaner environment, more equality of opportunity, greater individual freedom and a richer cultural life. The Non-governmental organisations, also suggests that the local communities should also be involve in order to sustain and achieve broader objectives of development goals and health improvements (Linstrand et al., 2009. These international measures suggested by international organizations, if properly implemented and complied will greatly assist health improvement not only in developing countries but in the develop countries as well. 2.1. Identify the elements that are the corner stones of healthcare systems A health care system is defined by Anderson and Frenk (1989 1994 respectively, cited by Lassey, et al., 1997), as the combination of health care institutions, supporting human resources, financing mechanisms, information system, organizational structures that link institutions and resources, and management structures that collectively culminate in the delivery of health services to the clients. These are what we call the elements of a health care system which are important in order to be more effective in delivering health care. These elements are formed in order to provide equity, efficiency and quality or safety in health care. According to Lassey, et al. (1997), the elements should collaborate with each other to produce health outcome or health services. In order to understand each of these elements, we must first discuss and consider their function in the system. Institutions are organizations that are responsible for the promotion of health, prevention of diseases and production of health care. It includes local, state and federal public health departments; public and private health care services providers such as hospitals and nursing homes; educational/training centres for health professionals; and environmental departments (Lassey, et al., 1997). Another very important element is the supporting human resources which includes public health professionals and other personnel who work in the field of health care. They are the ones who are directly involved in health promotion, illness prevention or health care (Lassey, et al., 1997). It is impossible to deliver health care without finance. Thus, financing mechanism is one of the most basic elements in a health care system. It includes direct government financing, private/national health insurance plans, managed care financing arrangements and other taxing systems that generate revenue for health care. Private out-of-pocket expenditures and any other sources that pay for the cost of care are also considered as financing mechanism (Lassey, et al., 1997). For an easy measurement of expenditure, outcomes for health care procedure and cost control, information system is needed. It facilitates sharing/exchange f information, collates data and contributes to greater understanding (Lassey, et al., 1997). Linking organizational mechanism is another element wherein association of professionals in school, hospital and other organizations attempt to link together the organizational units related to health care (Lassey, et al., 1997). But in order for these other components to function and produce health outcomes, it should first have to be managed. An organization should have a management structure or mechanism to function effectively and efficiently. These management structures include public health and administrative system that link multi institutional organizations such as hospital chains, financing administrations and other management mechanism (Lassey, et al., 1997). These elements are interrelated and work as a system. Therefore, each of these elements has an important role in operation of a health care system. They are all needed so that health care system could effectively deliver services and produce health outcomes. They are also important for a health care delivery system to be accessible, affordable, attainable and available to all sectors. 2.2. Justify the rationales for diverse forms of health care system There are many major influences that affect the heath of the population. Therefore, diverse forms of health care systems (HCS) are needed in order to meet the needs of the country. According to Lassey, et al. (1997), historical and cultural influences identify the political and economic structure of a country. The economic reality greatly influence the kind of health care system a nation can afford. The HCS of one country either private or public is affected by the combination of their physical, political, cultural, and community environment. Their structure also differs depending on the organizations health policies and health care delivery; accessibility of services; and economic factors affecting the health care delivery system (Lassey, et al., 1997). The European Observatory on Health Care Systems (EOHCS) 2002, conducted a study to provide up-to-date information on the health care systems of different countries and compared it to the UK health care system. This is conducted in order to improve the health care system and highlights that despite significant differences in how health systems are financed, organised and provided, all countries face a number of similar challenges. In the report of EOHCS (2002), diversity in health care system of eight countries has been discussed mainly highlighting the funding and delivering of health care systems. Denmark and Sweden is an example of a decentralised system of health care in terms of funding and delivery. Germany and the Netherlands have a social health insurance systems combined with private health insurance for high-income earners. France has a more centralised social health insurance model, offering universal coverage and with a mixture of public, private non-profit and for-profit providers In Australia, there are three tiers of government and there is an essential division of health care system. The economic and functional responsibilities are divided.The Commonwealth collects most of the taxes while the States delivers most of the public services. Australias HCS is mainly funded by public revenue. Out-of pocket payment, private health insurance and other sources of finance accounts only for about 30% health care expenditure (Healy, 2002). Both Australia and New Zealand have predominantly tax-financed systems of health care with differing degrees of decentralisation and privatisation of provision (EOHCS, 2002). In conclusion, diverse form of health care system is important because each country is different from another. Thus, they have to develop a health care system which responds effectively and appropriately to their needs in order to ensure equal accessibility to health services, to have a sustainable financing system, and to provide quality care to improve health outcome of ones country. 2.3. Evaluate the healthcare system of the UK making suggestions about facilitating a move from negative to positive outcomes. The United Kingdom is one of the first countries in Europe to implement a publicly funded National Health Service (NHS). The NHS act, enacted in 1948 adopted three principles for a publicly funded universal health care system. These are equal access to medical acre, Availability of comprehensive preventive and curative care and provision of serve ices to no cost at the point of service (Lassey, et al., 1997). As mentioned, health care in the UK is mainly funded through national taxation. Hospitals are predominantly owned with independent trust status. Health care services for privately insured patients or those who pay directly from their pocket are provided by private hospitals (EOHCS, 2002). The NHS covers all the legal residents of the UK and other residents of the European Economic Area and other countries who have reciprocal agreements with the UK. It is basically established to provide care services to the extent that it meets all reasonable requirements. Patients accessibility to health services is also being considered. According to the EOHCS (2002), there are several health care delivery systems in the UK. One of those is the ambulatory care which is provided by the general practitioner. There are walk-in clinics with GPs, practice nurses and other health professionals which provide primary care in several areas. Secondary care is provided by the in general acute NHS trusts, community hospitals, and tertiary level hospitals. In order to reduce unnecessary hospital admission and to avoid long-hospital stay, the government increased the number of intermediate care beds. This intermediate care is designed to prepare the patient to return home. Social care is also provided for those people with mental illness, learning difficulties and elderly who need domiciliary and residential care (EOHCS, 2002). There are also challenges that the UK health care system is facing. It has been recognized that the health care in the UK has been under funded as manifested by the long waiting lists for hospital appointments and poor quality hospital buildings. But the government is committed to straighten the situation. The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that over the next 4 years, there will be an increased public spending on the NHS. These will represent sustained rates of increased spending if achieved (EOHCS, 2002). The NHS Plan also aim to increase NHS workforce numbers (consultants, GPs and nurses) as well as to improve services provided like reduced waiting times. In order to drive these changes, a Modernisation Board has been set up. In addition, a Commission for Health Improvement has also been set up to monitor and improve performance and facilitate positive outcomes (EOHCS, 2002). 3.1. Assess the current global health priorities in terms of attainment of health-related MDGs. The centre of Millennium Development Goals is health. This is supported by the work of (Linstrand, et al., 2009). It is stated in their book that almost half of the MDGs are health related. There are eight Millennium Development Goals. These are: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; to achieve universal primary education; to promote gender equality and to empower women; to reduce child mortality; to improve maternal health; to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; to ensure environmental sustainability; and to develop a global partnership for development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), 2010. By knowing and addressing the current global health priorities, health-related MDGs could be also attained. Blue (2007) identified 20 top global health priorities and categorized it into six clusters. First priority is raising public awareness. This includes promotion of healthy lifestyle through effective education. It also involves dissemination of valid information via sustained accurate media coverage to improve economic, social and public health awareness (Blue, 2007). Second health priority is enhancement of economic, legal and environmental policies. It focuses on studying and addressing the impacts government expenditure and taxation (Blue, 2007). The third priority is modifying the risk factors. This includes deploying a universal measure to reduce tobacco use, promoting physical activity and consumption of healthy food. It is also an important that environmental and cultural factors that change behaviour are better understood (Blue, 2007). It is also important to prioritize engagement of business and community. Business should be a key partner in health promotion and disease prevention (Blue, 2007). Mitigating health impacts of poverty and urbanization is also one of the health priorities. This is where poverty related risk factors and the links between the environment, urbanization and chronic non-communicable diseases are being identified and addressed (Blue, 2007). Reorientation of health system is also an important priority. Allocation of resources should be based on burden of diseases. Moving professional training and practices toward prevention while increasing the number and skills of health care professionals especially in developing countries. Building a health system that incorporate screening and prevention and increases accessibility to medications (Blue, 2007). By addressing these current global health priorities, there is a greater chance of attaining health-related MDGs. 3.2. Identify the UK contribution to a global health strategy. Give specific example Tony Blair states that, Improving global health is clearly in Britains interest, and the Commission for Africa and the Gleneagles G8 Summit made several commitments on health and health care. The UK has a major role to play, (Crisp, 2007). 3.3. Justify the need for international health care organisations operating globally to form partnerships to secure better health for populations (especially women ad children) in the developing countries. In order to deal with the threats to health worldwide, International Organizations need to collaborate. Global collaboration was originally formed for the purpose of preventing the spread of communicable diseases across the national boarders (Linstrand, et al., 2009). One of the goals of the MDG is to develop a partnership for development. It basically a global cooperation on aid, trade, debt, access to affordable essential medicines and new technologies and addressing the special needs of the least developed, landlocked and small island states (DESA, 2010). There are several important reasons why there is a need for international organizations to form partnership. Though it originated from varied self-interest reasons like to combat infections for other countries or to quest for profit or influence for another, they may still not be a bad motivation to develop cooperation (Linstrand, et al., 2009). One of the most evident examples of multinational health collaboration is the successful work of the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) in reducing childrens death and suffering through cost-effective interventions and protection of breastfeeding. The UNICEF is a unique organisation that reaches out to all countries through its national committees (Linstrand, et al., 2009). UNICEF has also broadened its approach and includes the three Fs: female education, food supplements and family planning. WHO has given it support to this intervention of UNICEF (Linstrand, et al., 2009). Countries cooperating in dealing with outbreaks like Ebola or SARS and the guidance of the World Bank on countries expenditures on healthcare justify also the need for global partnership.

Diversity in the Classroom: A Cognitive Call to Action Essay -- Educati

Diversity in the Classroom: A Cognitive Call to Action The United States is expecting drastic changes in the diversity of its population over the next 50 years. Minorities will become a larger portion of the country’s population. Changes will need to be made to the way our country operates, especially in education. New, innovative and inclusive ways of teaching will replace traditional methods. For these new changes to go smoothly, steps will be taken to implement diverse populations in schools, helping students benefit from the values of other cultures while learning to live along side each other. The competitive and biased curriculums will take back seat to new ones that cater to all members of the population, leaving behind disruptive and antisocial behaviors. And finally, the teacher population will become as diverse as the student counterpart, creating more chances for students to identify with their leaders. This research paper will identify problematic situations for educational diversity as well as examine the effec tiveness of diverse populations in classroom settings with respect to the development of student's world skills and understanding, openness and tolerance of diversity. What do we mean when we say diversity in the classroom? Diversity in the classroom is the different cultural make-up of a student body. Right now, it is estimated that by 2050, the non-Hispanic White portion of the U.S. population is projected to decrease from approximately 72% to less than 53%. The African American population is expected to increase from under 13% to over 15% and the Hispanic population is expected to increase from 11% to 24%. As well, the Asian and Pacific Islander population is expected to increase from 4% to ... ...ool and high school. I have overcome these in my own personal and professional endeavors, but it can be hard to do for young students. Not only was my school majority white students, but the schools it fed into were quite the opposite, creating drastic contrast. Montgomery Blair High School, not 20 minutes, prides itself in being one the most diverse schools in the nation (Hadidi, A.24). My school was made up of kids that were all exactly or mostly the same. When it comes down to it, although I had the most caring teachers in the world, I learned very little about life and our nation’s great diversity as a student there. The nation is changing and the school systems throughout the country need to adapt their curriculums to handle it. Through new strategies and responsive teaching, teachers will pave the way for a heterogenous, successful and peaceful society. Diversity in the Classroom: A Cognitive Call to Action Essay -- Educati Diversity in the Classroom: A Cognitive Call to Action The United States is expecting drastic changes in the diversity of its population over the next 50 years. Minorities will become a larger portion of the country’s population. Changes will need to be made to the way our country operates, especially in education. New, innovative and inclusive ways of teaching will replace traditional methods. For these new changes to go smoothly, steps will be taken to implement diverse populations in schools, helping students benefit from the values of other cultures while learning to live along side each other. The competitive and biased curriculums will take back seat to new ones that cater to all members of the population, leaving behind disruptive and antisocial behaviors. And finally, the teacher population will become as diverse as the student counterpart, creating more chances for students to identify with their leaders. This research paper will identify problematic situations for educational diversity as well as examine the effec tiveness of diverse populations in classroom settings with respect to the development of student's world skills and understanding, openness and tolerance of diversity. What do we mean when we say diversity in the classroom? Diversity in the classroom is the different cultural make-up of a student body. Right now, it is estimated that by 2050, the non-Hispanic White portion of the U.S. population is projected to decrease from approximately 72% to less than 53%. The African American population is expected to increase from under 13% to over 15% and the Hispanic population is expected to increase from 11% to 24%. As well, the Asian and Pacific Islander population is expected to increase from 4% to ... ...ool and high school. I have overcome these in my own personal and professional endeavors, but it can be hard to do for young students. Not only was my school majority white students, but the schools it fed into were quite the opposite, creating drastic contrast. Montgomery Blair High School, not 20 minutes, prides itself in being one the most diverse schools in the nation (Hadidi, A.24). My school was made up of kids that were all exactly or mostly the same. When it comes down to it, although I had the most caring teachers in the world, I learned very little about life and our nation’s great diversity as a student there. The nation is changing and the school systems throughout the country need to adapt their curriculums to handle it. Through new strategies and responsive teaching, teachers will pave the way for a heterogenous, successful and peaceful society.

Hardys Tess of the dUrbervilles :: Tess of the dUrbervilles Essays

Tess of the d'Urbervilles   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through life people may fault, or get on the wrong side of the tracks. Yet hopefully they keep faith and then willingly they may recoup and redeem themselves by recovering. Many believe that, Tess in, Tess of the d'Urbervilles was a great example of this. In Hardy's Victorian age novel, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, he illustrates casual wrong, the will to recover, the growth of love, and death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Almost everybody has done something casually wrong and not think much of it, many call this indifferent nature. Tess is no stranger to casual wrong. Throughout her life indifferent nature has occurred. Her parents were not the greatest of parents. She had a tough life, she was poor. When she met Alec d'Urberville, she was considerate and kind, but later on Alec took advantage of her and seduced her in a forest called the Chase,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "He knelt and bent lower, till her breath warmed his   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      face, and in a moment his cheek was in contact with   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      hers. She was sleeping soundly, and upon her   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  eyelashes there lingered tears." 1 She then later fell in love with Angel, and married him. Angel found out about Tess' past experience with Alec, and he could not forgive her, even though it was all Alec's doing. Thus it is clear that casual wrong follows her and yet the wrong is not made by her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tess' true strength is her determination to overcome her misfortunes. When the Durbeyfields' horse, Prince died, Tess took control of the situation of the horse's death and the beehive delivery. She takes care of the kids and she had done well in school, even though Tess seems to go nowhere. Also when she leaves her job of taking care of the flock at the d'Urberville household, because of her experience with Alec, it showed she tried to take control of the situation. Even when Alec was following her home on his carriage asking her why she left,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   'Her lip lifted slightly, though there was little scorn, as   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   a rule, in her large and impulsive nature. "I have said I   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   will not take anything more from you, and I will not-I   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   cannot! I should be your creature to go on doing that,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   and I won't"' 2 Indeed it is shown that Tess has a very strong will to recover.

Greenmail & firing employees Essay

The term is a greenmail is formed by combining the terms greenback and blackmail, invented by journalists and commentators who saw the practices of corporate raiders as a form of blackmail. The target company is financially held hostage, and is legally forced to pay the greenmailer to go away. Greenmailing is a variation on the corporate raid or hostile takeover. The greenmailer commonly targets a publicly traded company that is cash rich but often undervalued, with large assets and possibly a solid customer base. Other targets are companies that are simply inefficient. The greenmailer isn’t really interested in the business of the company. It doesn’t want to own the company, improve it, or further build it up. It will, if forced to acquire the target, sell its parts off piecemeal, which can bring a greater profit than selling the whole target. This is called asset stripping and involves replacing management and firing employees. Greenmail proved lucrative for investors such as T. Boone Pickens and Sir James Goldsmith during the 1980s. In the latter example, Goldsmith made $90 million from the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in the 1980s in this manner. Occidental Petroleum paid greenmail to David Murdoch in 1984. However, if a proper greenmail occurs, the greenmailer merely secures a significant stake in the target company. The greenmailer can offer to end the threat to the target company by selling its share back at a substantial premium. The target or â€Å"mark† can also go private with the same results: a profit to the greenmailer. The greenmailer gets away with no oversight, low overhead, and its profits. The target is left poorer and without the assets that attracted the raid in the beginning. A company which agrees to buy back the bidder’s stock position avoids being taken over. In return, the bidder agrees to abandon the takeover attempt and may sign a confidential agreement with the â€Å"greenmailer† who will agree not to resume the maneuver for a period of time. Greenmail is a corporate defense mechanism to buy back shares from shareholders attempting to control the firm. The practice has many critics but it can result to potential windfall for the company by protecting company shares from low takeovr bids and gives the firm the opportunity to restructure management. While benefiting the â€Å"greenmailer†, the company loses capital and other assets. This hamstrings its future growth potential. This means the shareholders lose as well in addition to impacting the supplier and customers economically linked to the company. Generally the company’s existing management may remain in place but the employees usually see their ranks reduced. Courts in states such as Calfornia have favored shareholder lawsuits, based on the contention that greenmailer constituted a breach of fiduciary responsibility. Greenmail is arguably counter productive because once such a payment becomes public others may feign a takeover attempt. Greenmail is money paid by a company (or allied company or individual) to acquire its own shares of stock from a shareholder who is threatening to take control of, or unwanted influence over, the company. In the parlance of the financial community, strategies to prevent a takeover are called a â€Å"Poison pill†. This implies that the corporate raider will suffer if they try to swallow the target of the takeover. This involves a myriad of arcane changes in the details of corporate ownership structure, investment market rules, and may involve legal requirement in the jurisdiction where the company is incorporated. Individual states may pass â€Å"protectionist† laws that impose limits for launching formal bids, or obligations to seek shareholder approval for the buyback of its own shares, and in Federal tax treatment of greenmail gains have all made greenmail far less common since the early 1990s. Heckmann et al. v. Ahmanson trial in July 1989. This was one of the final cases involving the payment of †greenmail†. Greenmail is slang for targeted share repurchases – transactions in which a company repurchases shares from specific holders, rather than on the open market. In the 1980s, it was not uncommon for companies to pay greenmail to large investors who were challenging corporate management and threatening a takeover of the firm. In this case, Disney had paid a premium price to repurchase shares accumulated by Saul Steinberg’s Reliance Group. Working with attorney Michael Hennigan, I explained to the jury how this could damage Disney’s other shareholders and to estimate the amount of the damage. Following my direct examination, as Arthur Liman was standing to begin his cross, the judge decided recess the trial early for the July 4th holiday. During the recess, the case settled. It was the only greenmail case in which plaintiffs received a cash settlement.